Kendro, King of the Aonise, can do nothing to prevent their sun from collapsing, consuming their home planet Letháo in a single fiery blast. Running out of time and options, he evacuates the entire population, setting off into the unknown galaxy in four crowded ships. Under constant danger from their ancient enemy, the Zefron, treasonous dissent seeps into his inner circle. Threatened inside and out, Kendro struggles with whom to trust, until a mysterious vision finally brings hope to the distraught King. A new home awaits the Aonise, if Kendro can only unite them long enough to survive the journey.

How do I describe this maestro of the written word? He spends a part of every single day writing, contributes material, in dual formats, to professional magazines, heads up a fiction writers group of 10K+ members, squeezes in too many hours each day attending to his videography business, and still manages to enjoy a meal or two every week with people he loves?

A few days ago, I asked Earl if he’d write something for me, and he agreed, so long as he had a day or two to think of an appropriate topic. Here it is. A blog post from my friend and veteran author, Mr. Earl Chessher:

I’m not going to pull a Chuck Wendig on you here … no f-bombs. While that one tends to piss people off, make them smile or overwhelmingly impress or depress them, I’m not sure that what I share here will do…

Many have read these, many more have not. Some will share this because they love them, other won’t because they don’t wish to inflict my books on people they care about. On the flip side of that, if you didn’t like them, share this to your enemies! Plenty of opportunity abounds for lovers and haters alike! Here is your chance to spread the love (or torture those you feel are deserving). All of my books are on sale in one way or another, so take advantage of it since I don’t do these often. The sale runs from today, May 27th thru Monday, May 30th

A New Beginning (short prequel) – FREE

In the War of Fire, death often heralds a new beginning…

Dragons, magic, and war are commonplace for sixteen year old Emallya. Though she longs for the simple life of hearth and home, some things are not meant to be.

Her dreams for the future are changed in a single night when battle breaches the walls of her home, and she finds her true calling. The innocent hopes of youth are cast aside as Emallya steps forward into a future she never imagined for herself.

*This is a short story within the Dragon’s Call world and includes a bonus peek into Embers at Galdrilene, the first Dragon’s Call book.

“A ray of light, a stain of shadow, shall endure to breathe life and death into the future”

The war between the Guardians and the Shadow Riders ended in total devastation. The final battle killed all the dragons and left nothing but fields of ash. A small clutch of dragon eggs was all that remained to provide hope for the future.

Five hundred years later, the ability to use magic is a death sentence and dragons are remembered as a curse. But the unhatched dragons sing for their riders…and six lives will be changed forever.

The elements of magic are drawn together as the dragons’ call leads them on a journey where they learn everything they’ve been taught to believe about magic and dragons is wrong.

With the last of the dragons and the world at stake, they will risk everything to heed the call.

But an evil from the past rises again. Shadow Dragons ride the dawn once more…

Faced with a looming war, the riders have no choice but to leave the safety of Galdrilene and reach out to the nations for help. But the Shadow Riders are doing the same and not all nations are opposed to their rule.

New discoveries are made, old wounds are reopened and betrayal hides among welcoming smiles.

As one nation begins to unravel it’s clear that some choices, even those made with the best of intentions, can have devastating consequences.

Isobel Moore is looking forward to spending her summer break alone while her parents are overseas. But when she returns home from college she discovers it’s no longer the welcoming place it used to be…and that something sinister now resides within.

As Isobel begins to question her sanity, a mysterious neighbor moves next door with plenty of his own secrets…and Damien DeLuca has the uncanny ability to always show up when the unexplainable happens.

Now Isobel must unravel a past that tests her limits and everything she thought she knew—before the darkness kills her.

At nineteen Morgan has already faced more loss than she can handle and has more experience living on the street than she wants. Unable to do anything other than keep on the move in order to hide from the demons that hunt her, she guards her heart and emotions carefully. But when the demons start talking to her and calling her by a name from another life, things spiral beyond her control.

Lucian, an ancient dark angel who has seen his fair share of lives, is happy being a free agent until he’s assigned to Morgan. Determined to do everything on her own, she’s unlike any channel he’s ever met.

As the danger mounts and a demon prepares to open a gateway to the underworld, Morgan must find a way to overcome her past in order stop him. Offered what her heart desperately wants, and holding a key that will close the gate but open another, Morgan struggles find the strength to make the right choice.

“I thoroughly enjoy these books and feel anyone that love true Fantasy, full of magic and dragons, will enjoy these books. The characters are richly written and the storyline is addictive. The interaction between dragon and rider is some of the best Fantasy I’ve read. I love the relationships the author has developed between the two.”

“Took a well used genre (dragon riders) but added a new twist that had me struggling to put the book down. Real page turner that keeps you on your toes.”

“All 3 books are just wonderful. From start to finish it will keep on edge just waiting for what will come next. You won’t be disappointed!! These books have gotten me in trouble!! I couldn’t put it down, tried for work as a result!! Dragon Loves must read set. Looking forward to reading more books by this Author!!!”

And the people who weren’t happy:

“Very boring. ….”

“This book might take prize for overall, most cliche fantasy book Ive read this year.”

And those that are neither:

USA Bestseller List says, “Who are you?”

New York Times says, “This is a restraining order…”

The happy for the Bound series:

“Such a sweet, romantic and action packed story. From the onset, you’re drawn in and intrigued by everything going on. I never knew a window could be so menacing!”

“I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading Bound by Time.”

“Amazing & intriguing story. From the very beginning I was drawn in & it never disappointed.”

The unhappy:

“The storyline was slow and uneventful with very little happening along the way.”

Hi Hayley, welcome to YAAR. First things first, can you tell me about your books.

My first novel is called Into Darkness and it’s a dystopia set in New Zealand about a privileged girl who is convicted of a crime she didn’t commit by her father. I’ve also written a novella which includes some of the same characters but happens before Into Darkness, and that book is called In the Cool Light of Dawn. In September, the sequel will be released and it’s called A Silhouette in the Night.

So, at first glance your book seems to be just a dystopian, but there’s a bit of the paranormal thrown in. Can you tells us about that?

It is primarily dystopian, but there are also a race of people whose ancestors were experimented on many years ago and genetically modified. The result is…

In honor of my four-year blogging anniversary, both Imminent Danger And How to Fly Straight into It and its sequel, Chasing Nonconformity, are free to download today and tomorrow! Here’s the fun little promo banner I whipped up …

If you have a spare second, please consider sharing the banner (and links) on the social media site of your choice. And, of course, download the books if you haven’t read them! I can’t promise they’ll change your world, but I can promise they’ll give you a few solid hours of entertainment — and what’s life without a little fun?

Note: For any authors wondering about those URLs, they’re from BookShow.me, which is a website that generates a universal link that will direct you to the Amazon site of your choice (so you don’t have to provide links for…

The Great Bobbert scratched his head unleashing a cascade of bluish purple powder from his long straggly orange hair. His many pockets bulged with a multitude of objects: cards, rings, whistles, coins, scarves, and balloons – all the tricks of the trade for a working clown.

He rushed through the park, puffing and panting, accidentally kicking a squirrel in his path that chattered angrily at him.

“No need for that kind of language,” muttered the clown.

“Now, where is that pesky weasel? Ah, there he is. What the . . . ? Is that a kangaroo? Where did it come from? They’re certainly not indigenous to Missouri, or at least I don’t think they are. Did it escape from the zoo? I wonder if there’s a reward?”

Last Saturday my son Joey had his Bar Mitzvah – a culmination of years of preparation. He did amazingly and I’m so proud of him.

As some of you may know Joey is the inspiration behind the animagus kangaroo character in P.A.W.S., so I thought it might be fun to share with you the speech I made at the ceremony.

Speech – Debbie Manber Kupfer – Joey’s Bar Mitzvah, May 14. 2016

Nearly 14 years ago I said hello to you for the first time, Joey. You spent the first months of your life sitting in my pouch watching the world go by, much like a baby kangaroo.

Ever curious, ever bouncy, you grew into the young man you are today, towering over me (though inside, of course you’re still my baby).

I’m so proud of you, Joey. You work so hard, you care so much. You never take on anything without putting your whole soul into it. Whether it’s working on a new creation in Minecraft, writing a story, creating a new puzzle, rehearsing for show choir, and of course the months of work you’ve put into preparing for this Bar Mitzvah.

Four years ago when I was writing P.A.W.S. we spent a day together in the St. Louis Zoo. I told you the whole story and you listened, absorbing all the details while together we created your character in the book. Joey Marks, the Australian animagus exchange student can change into a kangaroo (which I don’t think you can do yet, though you do like to bounce around!) But apart from that little detail he shares so many of your characteristics. He’s smart, curious, bouncy, enthusiastic. He loves board games, magic tricks, and puzzles. And he’s always ready for the next adventure. Just like you!

So, as you get ready for the next adventure Joey, remember to slow down a little, occasionally. Stop, look around you. Observe and above all stay curious and watch for the magic; it’s out there!

Joey is the co-author of Paws 4 Logic – a collection of puzzles suitable for all of ages.